Snow-gathering machine



SNOW GATHERING MACHINE Filed May 15, 1926 2 Sl"1eets--Sheev 1 I!" u n I IN VEN TOR f, V (N cfazzzaflirzera- & \ON BY A TT ORNE Y J. O BRIEN SNOW GATHERING MACHINE Dec. 7 1926.

Filed May 13 1926 2 Sheets-sheaf.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 7, 1926. 1

' UNITED STATES ATE 1,609,765 NT' OFFICE.

.uums o'nmnn, or wsnaoon, NEW mew.

SNOW-GATHERING MACHINE.

Application filed 1m}- 13,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in snow gathering machines an motor propelled vehicle carries an endless conveyor with means for delivering snow for,-

deposited upon the conve or.

-With the above and ot er objects in view that will-become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, thatfsame 1 consists of the novel form, combination and arran ement of parts hereinafter more fully descri d, shown inthe accompanying drawin and claimed.

l; the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure lis a top plan view of a' snow athering machine constructed in accor anoe with the present invention, v

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same showing the side bars supported on the machine frame and the conveyor and upon which the side guards for the conveyor are mounted,

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken .on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, p

Figure 4 is a detalled sectional view taken.

on line-4-4 of Fig. 1 showing-the adjusting device for varying the elevation of the rear end of the conveyor, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the pivotal mounting" ofthe.

conve or upon the machine frame.

Re erring more in detail to the accompanying drawings and-particularly to Fig? 1 and 2, there 1s illustrated a snow gat ering machine comprisin a vehicle frame having side bars 1 preferahly of channel line formation as'shown in Figs. 3 and 4 con' nected together at their rear ends by a cross bar and carryin dependin journal bearings 2 intermediate t e ends an adjacent the forward ends thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and particularly to'the type whereina 1928. semi No. 105,391.

2 for supporting forward ground wheels-3, the rear end of the vehicle frame 1 being supported by .rear round wheels 4. Side rails 5 are positionefioutwardly of the side bars. 1 of the chassis frame and are rigidly supported at their rear ends upon the transverse channel iron 6 that is rigidly attachedv to the side bars '1' of the chassis while the forward ends of the side rails 5 are supported upon the journal bearings 2 for the orward ground wheels 3. An en less conveyor frame is pivotally supported intermediate its ends upon the side bars 1 of thecha'ssis, the conveyor frame comprising side bars 7 connected together at their opposite ends by cross shafts 8 and 9 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the conveyor frame being disposed between the side bars 1 of the chassis frame and the side rails 5 and hingedly supported as-at 10 upon the chassis frame.

A roller 11 journaled on the shaft 8 at the lower end of the conveyor forms a guide for the endless conveyor belt 12, 'the u per end of the loop thereof passing over t e roller 13 upon the cross shaft 9 while one projecting end of the shaft "9 has a sprocket wheel 14 keyed thereto.

The support for the upper over-balanced end of the endless conveyor frame is shown more clearly in F-ig. 4 wherein a screw rod 15 having a ball and socket connection 16 atits upper end with the lower side of the con- I veyor frame is threaded at its lower end through the cross shaft 17 that is journaled at its ends in the sidebars 1 of the chassis frame and side rails 5 with the lower end of the screw rod 15 passing through an open- .ing in the cross channel iron 6, the screw rod bemg'provided with a handle 18 by which the same may be operated to effect raising and lowering movements of the rear upper endof the conveyor frame.

The forward lower end of the endless conveyor terminates adjacent the ground line between the side bars 1 and rails-5 while a rotatable snow gatherin drum supported on the forward ends'of t e side bars 1 direct the snow onto the conve or. The rotatable drum 19 is 'journale in de endin bracket bearings 20 carried by the forward ends of the side bars 1 and fins or blades 21 extending lengthwise of the drum 19 and outwardly thereof gather the snow and deliver the same onto the endless conveyor belt 12, each projectin end of the shaft 22 to which the drum is h eyed being provided 7 conveyor.

with a sprocket wheel 23 to be driven in a manner presently to be described.

To prevent a lateral displacement of the snow from the conveyor belt 1 at the lower end thereof where deposited by the rotatable gathering drum 19, guide plates 24 are provided at each side of the endless conveyor, the support for said plate comprising triangular standards 25 supported on the forward ends of the side rails 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 with a cross shaft 26 having end trunnions 27 journaled in the upper ends of the bracket. A longitudinally extending rod 28 threaded at its opposite ends as at 29 with a screw rod 28 disposed at each side of the endless conveyor is threaded at its forward end in the cross shaft 26 while the rear threaded end thereof freely passes through a bracket 30 carried by the outer side of the adjacent side bar 7 of the conveyor frame, adjusting nuts 31 threaded on the rear end of the screw rod 28 and opposite sides of the bracket 30 being operable to hold the screw rod in adjusted position when the desired angularity of the conveyor frame is attained. In raising or lowering the conveyor frame, the nuts 31 are loosened or operated to be spaced from the bracket 30, and at which time the rear upper end of the endless conveyor may.

be raised or lowered by the screw rod 15 and at which the nuts 31 are tightened to engage the angle bracket 30 as a further support for the upper elevated end of the A series of hooks 32 carried by the outer face of each guard plate 24 engage the screw rod 29 for freely suspending the guard plates theron. It will therefore be seen that the u per ends of the guard plates 24: are raise and lowered simultaneously with the verticaladjustment of the rear upper end of the endless conveyor. As

shown in Fig. 3, a transverse guard rail 33 extends between the lower forward ends of the spaced guard plates 21 and is anchored .at its opposite ends as at 34 to said plate and in proximity to the lower upper side of the endless conveyor belt 12 to prevent downward discharge of snow deposited upon the endless belt by the gathering drum 19.

The operating mechanism for the endless conveyor and gathering drum 19 includes the motor 35 illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 having a gear and sprocket chain connection 36 with the cross shaft 37 journaled at its ends in the side rail 5, the sprocket wheel 38 fixed to the shaft 37 between the side bars 1 and rails 5 being alined with the sprocket wheel 14 at the upper end of the conveyor and over which sprocket wheels 38 and 14 the sprocket, chain 39 passes. As shown in Fig. 1, the bearing support 37 for the sprocket wheel 38 is in sufficiently close proximity to the hinge support 10 for movement of the endless convevor frame to occasion only a slight amount of slack in the chain 39 when the upper end of the conveyor is lowered, however, should it be found necessary, any well known means may be associated with the chain 39 to compensate for any slack appearing therein. The cross shaft 40 journalcd in the side rails 5 carries a gear 11 meshing with the gear 42 upon the shaft 37 and said gear 41 is in mesh with the gear 43 upon the shaft 14 journaled in the side rails 5. Each projecting end of the shaft 44 carries a sprocket wheel 45 alincd with the sprocket wheels 23 associated with the snow gathering drum 19 and over which sprocket wheels the sprocket chains 46 pass. 1t will therefore be seen that the motor 35 operating the several meshing gears drives the endless conveyor belt 12 and rotates the snow gathering drum 191 From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, it being understood that a collection receptacle or vehicle trails the snow gathering apparatus, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as .new is:

1. In snow gathering apparatus, a vehicle frame, an endless conveyor hingedly supported thereon intermediate its ends, a rotatable gathering drum at the forward lower end of the conveyor and means for operating the conveyor and drum and snow guard plates supported on the frame at op osite sides of the lower end of the conveyor, t e support for the guard plates including standards at the forward end of the frame, a cross shaft journalled between the standards, longitudinally adjustable screw rods engaging the cross shaft at their forward ends and supported at their rear ends on the opposite sides of the conveyor and hooks carried by the guard plates for suspending the same on the screw rods.

2. In snow gathering apparatus, a vehicle frame, an endless conveyor hingedly supported thereon intermediate its ends, a rotatable gathering drum at the forward lower end of the conveyor and means for operating the conveyor and drum, and snow guard plates supported on the frame at opposite sides of the lower end of the conveyor and a guard rail extending between the spaced guard plates in proximity of the lower end of the conveyor and anchored at its ends to the guard plates, the support for the guard plates including standards at the forward end of the frame, a cross shaft cross shaft at their forward ends and supported at their rear ends on the opposite sides of the conveyor and hooks carried by the guard plates for suspending the same on the screw rods.

3. In snow gathering apparatus, a vehicle frame, an endless conveyor hingedly supported thereon intermediate its ends, a r0- tatable gathering drum at the forward lower end of the conveyor and means for operating the conveyor and drum and snow guard plates supported on the frame at opposite sides of the lower end of the conveyor, the support for the guard. plates including standards at the forward end of the frame, a cross shaft 'ournalled between the standards, longitu inally adjustable screw rods engagin the cross shaftat their forward ends an supported at their rear ends on the opposite sides of the conveyor and hooks carried'by the guard plates for suspending the same on the screw rods and a screw rod havin threaded engagement with the vehicle fi'ame rearwardly of the pivotal mounting of the conveyor and a ball and socket connection between the upper end thereof and the conveyor whereby the rear end of the conveyor may be raised and lowered on its hinged support.

4. In snow gathering apparatus, avehicle frame, an endless conveyor hingedly supported thereon intermediate its ends, a rotatable gathering drum at the forward lower end of the conveyor and means for operating the conveyor and drum, and snow guard plates supported on the frame at opposite sides of the lower end of the cpnveyor and a guard rail extending between the spaced guard plates in proximity to the lower end of the conveyor and anchored at its ends to the guard plates, the support for the guard plates including standards at the forward end of the frame, a cross shaft journaled between the standards, longitudinally adjustable screw rods engagin the cross shaft at their forward ends. an supported at their rear ends on the opposite sides of the conveyor and hooks carried by the guard plates for suspending the same on the screw rods and a screw rod having threaded engagement with the vehicle frame rearwardly of the pivotal mounting of the conveyor and a ball and socket connection between the upper end thereof and the conveyor whereby the rear end of the conveyor maybe raised and lowered on its hinged sup port.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES OBRIEN. 

